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Former 49ers wide receiver Ted Ginn signed with the Panthers today, ESPN reported, leaving a void on the 49ers’ special teams.

By the end of his three-year tenure in San Francisco, of course, Ginn was a rumor on offense (2 catches in 2012) and he ceded his kickoff-return duties to rookie LaMichael James late in the regular season.

Ginn, however, remained effective in returning punts: He was 11th in the NFL in punt-return average (11.2) in 2012 after ranking fourth and third, respectively, in the category the previous two seasons. In the Super Bowl, Ginn’s 32-yard, third-quarter punt return set up a 20-yard touchdown drive in the midst of San Francisco’s second-half rally.

If the 49ers don’t address the need in the draft or free agency, here are the candidates to replace Ginn:

WR KYLE WILLIAMS: With the notable exception of a certain NFC Championship Game, Williams, who handled 74 punts at Arizona State, has been a nifty punt returner in limited duty: He’s averaged 12.1 yards on nine attempts in his three-year career and 29.0 yards on two returns in the 2012 preseason.

When Ginn was sidelined for the first three games of 2012, Williams averaged 13.0 yards on four returns in his fill-in role (and didn’t fumble). Williams, though, is coming off a torn ACL sustained in late November. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in late July.

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RB LaMICHAEL JAMES: Last year’s second-round pick returned 14 punts at Oregon and averaged 9.8 yards per return. In the 2012 preseason, James returned six punts (5.3 yards), but nearly every return was a heart-stopping adventure. In the preseason finale against the Chargers, he muffed two punts – recovering both – and bobbled a fair catch. He muffed a punt, which caromed out of bounds, in the second preseason game at Houston.

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CB PERRISH COX: At Oklahoma State, Cox was an accomplished returner. He finished with the third-most kickoff-return yards in FBS history and had a school-record four touchdowns. As a punt returner, he averaged 11.6 yards on 60 returns and scored two touchdowns. As a rookie with the Broncos in 2010, he moonlighted as a returner. He averaged 2.3 yards on three punt returns.